Conklin swinging toward a national title

By
Jillian Marshall

August 5, 2014Updated Aug 5, 2014 at 6:28 PM EDT

Town of Union, NY (WBNG Binghamton) On Tuesday, in the Town of Union, a national golf tournament teed off with players who are still in elementary and middle school. And one team even calls the Southern Tier "home."

"It’s amazing for kids at this age to be playing in a competition this serious," said USGLL Conklin coach Rick Brown.

The USGLL Youth Golf Association National Championship teed off on Tuesday at Traditions at the Glen.

Four teams from around the nation are competing to be the best in the U.S., including a team from Conklin.

The team, who wore blue, is full of six kids from seven to 14 years old, who, despite their young ages, aren't anywhere close to being rookies.

"I think my long game, which is the driving, is the best," said 12-year-old Amanda Bucko. "I'm not great at my short game, that's why I'm practicing this but, I'm better at my long game than I am at my short game."

The goal is to get the ball in the hole and win a national title, but for many of the kids, the biggest plus is making friends from all across the country.

"Most of all it's fun to get to know your other players who come into New York just to play in this tournament," Bucko added.

Plus, the winners take home a trophy.

"The kids actually take pictures of it and send it back to the other kids drinking, eating Fruit Loops and drinking milk and stuff out of it. It's pretty funny," said USGLL East Coast Regional Director Robert Warholic.

The golfers will continue the tournament with two rounds on Wednesday, and the top two teams will go head to head on Thursday before a winner is crowned.

The Conklin team has been to the tournament five times in a row, but has never won. The team said they are hoping that this is the year they turn it all around.